Aladdin Secret of NIMH lunchbox

The Aladdin Secret of NIMH lunchbox is a vintage lunchbox based on the 1982 animated feature film ‘The Secret of NIMH’.

Background

‘The Secret of NIMH’ is a 1982 feature length animated adaptation of the 1971 Robert C. O'Brien book ‘Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH’. It tells the story of a widowed field mouse and her attempts to move her home and children out of the path of a farmer’s plough, with the help of a group of hyper-intelligent rats.

The film was the first feature production by the renowned animator Don Bluth, whose work and success during the 1980s and 90s saw his studio provide major competition for animated Disney features. The film was relatively unsuccessful at the box office upon its release, but is highly regarded by critics and now viewed as one of the best animated films of the 1980s.

A metal lunchbox featuring the characters was produced to promote the film in 1982 by Aladdin Industries.

The Aladdin Secret of NIMH lunchbox

The box has an orange border and matching handle, with scenes from the film on the front, back and side panels. The front of the box features a image of Mrs Brisby the mouse along with her children Martin, Timothy, Cynthia and Theresa along with her friend Auntie Shrew. The back of the box depicts a scene in which Mrs Brisby meets the rats of NIMH in their underground home.

The side panels show images from the film including the characters Jeremy the Crow and Dragon the cat. The matching thermos has a yellow lid/cup, and features graphics from the front of the lunchbox and two of the side panels.

How much is an Aladdin Secret of NIMH lunchbox worth?

The boxes were manufactured in large numbers to tie in with the film’s release and are widely available on the secondary market.

Unused, mint-condition boxes can be purchased on auction sites such as eBay for around $50, with used boxes and thermos sets selling for $15 - $30 depending on their condition.